Top 10 Stolen Cars – 2011 Edition

Posted Friday, Oct 28, 2011 by Allen B. Ury

Every year, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) issues its report on car thefts and break-ins. (The NICB counts them as a single crime.) Naturally, we want to know what vehicles lead the list — and if our vehicle is on it.

Want to know the top 10 most stolen vehicles in the U.S.? The answer depends on what you mean by “most.” There’s one list for raw number of thefts, which is led by the 1994 Honda Accord. (Yes, even after 15 years, thieves target this Japanese classic.) But there’s another list for frequency of thefts, which compares the number of incidents against the number of vehicles actually on the road, regardless of model year. And by that measure, the Cadillac Escalade SUV is the No. 1 stolen vehicle in the U.S. (Even when thieves don’t get the whole Escalade, they apparently love to take its parts, particularly its wheels.)

So let’s compare apples to oranges. First, here’s the NICB’s list of the Top 10 Stolen Cars, raw numbers version:

Manufacturers of newer models are trying to make their products more thief-resistant by upgrading the steering column ignition locks, reinforcing storage area locks, and installing “kill switches” on engines activated by unauthorized vehicle entries. Even so, resourceful thieves always seem to find a way — if not to take the entire vehicle, then certainly portions of it.

The best deterrent, experts say, is to park in a locked garage or in an area that is usually busy and well-lit.

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